1. Pre-Deployment Support:
Getting Mission Ready
So what is Military OneSource? Many things to many people.
Military OneSource is your OneSource, available 24/7, providing information, resources and assistance for your best MilLife.
A community with a deep understanding of Military Life – powered by people with extensive training and experience in military culture.
It’s all about helping our entire community – service members and military families ‒ take advantage of all the resources and services you have available, for the most positive and fulfilling military experience.
Today, we’re going to talk about how Military OneSource can help you prepare for a successful deployment.

2. Tools for a Successful Deployment
Prepare, plan and minimize complications with Military OneSource resources and tools:
Check out the Plan My Deployment tool for valuable tasks and considerations, articles and tips for success
Understand your benefits and resources through the Military OneSource website
Get confidential, expert support 24/7 through Military OneSource — on everything from financial preparation to counseling to managing stress
Preparing for deployment means getting ready for your mission AND getting the homefront ready for your absence.
Thorough preparation minimizes complications so you can maintain a mission-focus during your time away Military OneSource can help.
The Plan My Deployment tools offers tasks and considerations, articles and tips for success
• Information about every phase of deployment
• Tasks and considerations with checklists, guidelines and worksheets for you to tackle before you ship out
• Articles with tips to ease the challenges of deployment
• Access to programs and organizations designed to help service members and their families with deployment
The Military OneSource website has information about benefits and resources
• Explanations of your benefits and protections under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act
• Information about eligibility for other benefits
• Webinars to help you and your family get ready
Military OneSource confidential help gives you 24/7 access to expert support
• Military OneSource can connect you with free legal assistance for appointing a power of attorney or updating a will
• Military OneSource offers free access to confidential non-medical counseling. It’s available for all service members and their families, all over the world.
• Call or get help via live chat at
Let’s look more closely at some specific resilience tools and then dive into Plan My Deployment and the resources you’ll find there. •

3. Resilience Tools and Products for Your MilLife
MoodHacker
Don’t let stress rule your life. This self-management tool helps you track and improve your mood.
CoachHub
Personal online coaches help you manage stress and reach goals with online support.
Love Every Day
Rekindle the romance. Text messages encourage couples to connect in a fun and meaningful way.
Military OneSource offers resources and tools to help service members and their families remain resilient through the deployment cycle. Here are a few resilience tools for you to try out:
MoodHacker is scientifically-tested and evidenced-based. You enter your activities and mood levels throughout each day, and MoodHacker tracks and compares activities to help you understand which activities boost your mood and which ones drag you down.
You can use this tool for as long as you like. It:
Provides charts to show your top mood-boosting and mood-lowering activities
Reminds you of new activities to try to lift your mood
Offers access to a library of activities proven to increase your happiness
CoachHub  This is different from the health and wellness coaches we mentioned. If you don’t have time to meet up with a coach at a specific time, CoachHub may be the coaching experience for you.
You can communicate through the interactive website when you have time and the coach will respond when they are online. Topics that coaches address include:
Physical fitness testing
Nutrition
Weight loss
Stress reduction
You select your coach through a listing that matches coaches with the goal you are trying to achieve. Coaches will help you stay on track to meet your goals, by:
Making appointments
Posting answers to your questions
Viewing your progress
Holding you accountable for each step you say you are going to take toward your goal
Setting alerts if you start to decrease your efforts or reverse direction
Love Every Day texts you and your partner a question each morning for 21 days. You both respond when it’s convenient and you’ll be notified when your partner’s answer is ready to view. Love Every Day helps you get to know your partner better, learn new ways to show your love for each other, and discover “did you know” facts about relationships. It’s a fun way to create a new normal for your relationship.
Chill Drills
Chill Drills are available as audio files on the Military OneSource website. Click “Products” in the website footer – it’s the first link under “Quick Access” – then search “Chill Drills” to view available exercises. Different drills help you:
Become focused, calm, relaxed and alert
Fall asleep
Release stress
Ease back pain
Chill Drills
Reduce stress and improve resilience with simple exercises that lower your blood pressure. •

4. Plan My Deployment Helps with Every Phase
A tool created to connect you with resources for a successful deployment:
Tasks and considerations for pre-deployment, from pets to property to health care
Articles and tips to help you get legal, financial and family affairs in order
Links to helpful resources like MyPay, the TRICARE Beneficiary Enrollment area and branch-specific support programs
For service members and families
Plan My Deployment was built to help you pre, during and post deployment.
Tasks and considerations for pre-deployment, from pets to property to health care
• See a list of tasks and considerations like setting up auto-pay for bills and securing storage for your vehicle. Select the tasks relevant to you then print out a checklist
• Find tools like a Home Maintenance Checklist, a Vehicle Maintenance Guide and other helpful materials
Articles and tips to help you get legal, financial and family affairs in order
• Get guidance and information on all things pre-deployment
• Learn how to get your finances and legal matters in order
• Find tips and resources on preparing kids for deployment
• Learn what to expect during each stage of deployment
Links to helpful resources like MyPay, the TRICARE Beneficiary Enrollment area and branch-specific support programs
• Access service-branch specific resources
• Get information about financial assistance
• Easily navigate to resources like MyPay, where you access your leave and earning statements or the TRICARE Beneficiary Enrollment area
Service members and family members can access Plan My Deployment — to help you be confident that things at home are taken care of.
To access Plan My Deployment, go to
OR, from the Military OneSource website select “Military Life Cycle,” then click “Deployment” and select “Resources.” Plan My Deployment is the first resource listed under “Pre-Deployment Resources.” •

5. Deployment Prep for Service Members
Military OneSource website: More to help you be ready for deployment
Address legal and financial matters with checklists and articles
Connect one-on-one with experts who understand military life
Link up with a personal Health and Wellness coach
Get information about how to take care of pets and property while you’re deployed
Get help creating a family care plan
Life in the military is about readiness. You may be duty-ready, but don’t overlook preparations on the homefront. Military OneSource has many planning tools to make sure nothing gets overlooked.
Address legal and financial matters with checklists and articles or by talking one-on-one with an expert
Military OneSource has information and resources to help you:
• Understand your rights under the Service Members’ Civil Relief Act.
• Decide how to address residential and auto leases and insurance during your time away.
• Arrange for storage or caretaking of owned properties or vehicles.
• Designate a power of attorney and update other legal documents.
• Connect with financial counselors over the phone or via video chat.
Link up with a personal health and wellness coach
Military OneSource can connect you with a personal wellness coach to help you get in tip-top shape before you ship out.
Take care of pets and property – find lists of information caretakers should have and discover programs like Dogs on Deployment Download a home maintenance checklist and an auto maintenance checklist
Get help creating a family care plan
Military OneSource has information to help you:
• Create a family care plan.
• Secure military ID cards for dependents.
• Stay connected to loved ones during your absence.
Another valuable resource that Military OneSource offers is free non-medical counseling and 24-hour support to help you get – and stay – 100 percent mission-ready. You can call anytime. •

6. Get Money Matters Squared Away
Counseling, calculators and educational materials help you master your finances:
Financial counselors can help you reassess your finances and budgets
Free Military OneSource MilTax services and e-filing software to prep and file your taxes online
Learn about eligibility for special pay and the Savings Deposit Program
Understand how the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act applies to you for smart choices concerning housing and property
Military OneSource offers counseling, calculators and educational materials to help you get money matters squared away before you deploy.
Financial counselors can help you reassess your finances and budgets
• Find out how your pay will change when you’re deployed.
• Get expert guidance regarding pre- and post-deployment financial decisions.
• Learn about the financial assistance programs available to service members and their families.
• Access confidential financial counseling in person OR via phone or video chat to help with budgeting and more.
Military OneSource also has calculators to help you crunch numbers for buying or renting, refinancing, investing, retirement, saving and other financial matters.
**Reserve and National Guard service members should be especially attentive to pay changes since their active duty pay rate could differ significantly from their civilian salary.
Take command of your taxes with free Military OneSource MilTax
• Made for the military life. Easy-to-use tax preparation and e-filing software
• For example: Prepare and file your federal and up to three state returns
• Trained tax consultants to help by phone
Articles describe eligibility for special pay and the Savings Deposit Program
• Learn about special savings plans and programs available to service members and how they can help you meet your financial goals.
• Get information on how to allocate special and incentive or family separation pay.
Tips explain how the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act applies to you so you can make smart choices concerning housing and property
• Understand your financial rights under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act.
• Learn about your options for managing home and property leases; get help weighing the possibilities.
In addition to one-on-one support, you’ll find videos, articles, booklets, recordings and other materials on the Military OneSource website that explain your options to help you make advantageous financial decisions as you prepare to deploy. •

7. MilSpouses — Plan for Success on the Homefront
Military OneSource help for MilSpouses:
Start to prepare with the Plan My Deployment tool
Through Military OneSource:
Educate yourself about deployment
Get checklists to help you stay on top of home and car maintenance
Connect and stay healthy with interactive tools like Love Every Day and Moodhacker
Find education and career help through Spouse Education and Career Opportunities
Connect with community resources through MilitaryINSTALLATIONS
Military OneSource has ways to help each member of your military family face the challenges on the homefront during deployment.
Begin preparing ASAP. Plan My Deployment is a great place to start.
Plan My Deployment helps spouses prepare for new routines
Find resources to help military spouses on and off-base:
• Prepare for new routines and responsibilities.
• Connect with benefits like TRICARE for health care.
• Learn about programs on base that help you build a support network by connecting with other military spouses and families.
• Explore new education and career opportunities.
Articles explain what your service member is going through so you know what to expect
Checklists make it simple to stay on top of home and auto maintenance
• Find checklists for home and auto maintenance tasks you might need to assume while your service member is deployed.
The resilience resources mentioned earlier aren’t just for service members. These tools like, Love Every Day and Moodhacker, can also help MilSpouses maintain personal resilience and interpersonal connections throughout the deployment journey.
Military OneSource has tools and tips to help service members and their spouses maintain connections over long distances.
• Read articles with ideas for staying connected.
• Access tools on our website to help you keep in touch.   
Spouse Education and Career Opportunities helps you further your career and education
• Explore career options.
• Learn about educational options and credential requirements.
• Network to find career opportunities.
• Get help from SECO career coaches.
MilitaryINSTALLATIONS makes it easy to connect to the military community
• Access MilitaryINSTALLATIONS to find fun activities and support.
• Get information about youth groups, libraries and other programs or resources available through your installation. •

8. Help Kids Prepare for Deployment
Connect with Military OneSource to help your kids get ready for the changes:
Find resources if you need help with childcare
Get tips and products for communicating, setting expectations and helping kids understand
Most important: Ideas for quality time together before you deploy
Resources to help you search for nearby childcare
Military OneSource can connect you with resources to help you find quality childcare.
Learn how to help your kids through this time of separation. Articles with tips for communicating clearly, setting expectations and helping kids prepare for change
• Explain deployment in an age-appropriate way your kids can understand.
• Promote interaction and connection with the parent who is deploying AND the parent holding down the homefront.
• Decide how and when you’ll communicate with your kids during deployment.
• Involve kids in planning and packing to give them a sense of control and stability.
Find Sesame Street’s “Talk, Listen and Connect: Deployments,” which follows Elmo’s experience as his father deploys and returns home. Kids can relate and parents can extract useful language to turn to when discussing tough topics.
Ideas for spending time together before you deploy
The most important thing you can do for your kids pre-deployment is to spend quality time together. Making memories strengthens your bond so you can stay connected through the days ahead. •

9. Make Deployment Easier for Teens
Smooth transitions for teens with resources including:
Articles with tips to help you communicate openly and honestly with teens
Access to one-on-one tutoring for homework help to keep school on track
Counselors and coaches are available for every eligible family member
Again, focus on spending quality time together before you deploy
Teens already have a lot going on, and deployment means additional stress. Military OneSource has ways to help make your deployment easier for them.
Articles with tips to help you communicate openly and honestly with your teen/s
Military OneSource has information about the best ways to:
• Tell teens about your deployment.
• Talk through their feelings and fears.
• Stay connected during deployment.
Access to one-on-one tutoring for homework help
Military OneSource offers access to resources like tutor.com, which provides free one-on-one homework help online, anytime and anywhere, in 16 subjects.
Counselors and coaches are available for every eligible family member
Remember, Military OneSource non-medical counselors and health and wellness coaches are available to service members and their military families
Ideas for spending quality time together before you deploy
Do your best to spend quality time connecting with your teen before your deployment.
Deployment can be an opportunity for you and your teen to better understand each other. By keeping an open dialogue and connecting your teen with resources to manage stress, you can help them raise to the challenges ahead. •

10. Military OneSource Stands Ready to Help
Remember that we’re here to help you achieve your best MilLife.
Contact us 24/7, whenever, wherever — for free, confidential support to help you and your family through every phase of deployment.
We’re standing by, ready to serve you.
Military OneSource connects you and your family to that help with 24/7 support online and by telephone.
This free, confidential counseling can help you take charge and address issues that can come from stressors such as deployment and reintegration, parenting, relationship problems, loss and financial concerns.
Military OneSource has support and resources to help make your pre-deployment a success. Connect with us by calling or head to for personalized support. •